".308 is better." Why stop there? What about .300 Win Mag? 7.82 warbird? .416 Rigby? They might be more effective at long range or larger game, but hand any of them to a small frame person on a light rifle and watch him/her learn to flinch.
The long-for-caliber 6.5 family has been a no-fuss, efficient combo for 130 years, since the Swedes put together the 6.5 x 55, for everything for men to brown bears. About 70 years later, the long range crowd worked up the .260 as a very stable, effective, efficient target or deer load, and the rest is history. To each his own, but I'm with the OP. I'd almost stretch a point, with modern ammo, and include the .243//6mm, and go up to the 7./08, but certainly the whole 6.5/08 family are pretty much foolproof on a 200 lb whitetail.
Just checked the ballistics on the 6.5 Creed at 300. Roughly 1,600 foot-pounds. Anybody loosing deer at those ranges, the best fix might be......3 bricks of .22 LR and some range time. Just sayin.

Last edited by low wall; 01/31/24 05:15 PM.